GE Energy's Jenbacher Gen-Sets To Provide Australian Base-Metal Mine With Needed On-Site Power

Jenbach, Austria - APT Petroleum Pipelines Holdings Pty. Ltd is installing a 33-megawatt (MW) on-site power plant, featuring GE Energy's Jenbacher generator-sets, at the Xstrata Mount Isa copper and zinc-lead mine in remote northwestern Queensland, Australia.

The 11-unit plant to be delivered by Clarke Energy is designed to counter the region's lack of generation and transmission infrastructure by providing Xstrata with a cost-effective and reliable on-site source of electricity to help support increased production at Mount Isa, keeping electricity costs predictable. The mine is located about 2,000 kilometers (km) northwest of Brisbane and nearly 1,000 km west of Townsville.

Fueled by natural gas, the on-site plant will feature 11 of GE's Jenbacher JGS 620 GS-N.L units. Each J620 GS unit has an electrical output of 3,041 kilowatts (kW) and an electrical efficiency of 42.5%.

The gen-sets will be manufactured at GE's gas engine headquarters and manufacturing center in Jenbach, Austria. GE will deliver the gen-sets to Clarke Energy Australia Pty. Ltd., which will then integrate them in custom-designed acoustic enclosures and provide all balance of plant equipment, including the SCADA system. Clarke Energy Australia is a subsidiary of England-based Clarke Energy, a distributor of GE's Jenbacher gas engines. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in November 2007.

APT Petroleum Pipelines Holdings Pty. Ltd, a 100% owned subsidiary of the APA Group (APA), is building the plant on behalf of Xstrata. The Mount Isa plant marks GE's second Jenbacher engine order on behalf of customer APA, the first being a 33-MW coal seam gas power plant in South-East Queensland.

APA again selected GE's Jenbacher gas engines because of the combination of engine technology and the proven ability of GE's authorized Jenbacher gas engine distributor, Clarke Energy, to meet the logistical challenges of northwestern Queensland and to build and commission the plant within a 12-month period.

"The Mount Isa project, on behalf of APA and Xstrata, underscores the benefits that GE's Jenbacher gas engines can offer customers in need of reliable, cost-effective on-site power," said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business. "The order also demonstrates the confidence that industrial customers have in Jenbacher engines to deliver the reliability and performance they need to boost their competitive positions."

GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business is a leading manufacturer of gas-fueled reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets and cogeneration systems for power generation. GE's Jenbacher gas engines run on natural gas or a variety of specialty gases, including biogas and industrial waste gases.

SOURCE: GE Energy